The category of "household products" probably contains most of the
non-drug substances that poison animals throughout the country each year. This would
include insecticides designed to kill ants, fleas, termites, wasps, etc., pesticides
against rats, mice, gophers and other unwanted pests, herbicides to kill weeds in our
yards and gardens, cleaners for our homes and businesses, and ethylene glycol and fuel and
other petroleum products used in cars, heaters, and even lighters. These are products
which are both widespread in use and frequently highly toxic. The combination of being
common and deadly frequently results in a very dangerous situation for household pets who
share our homes, cabins, yards and cars.

For ease of reading and organizational purposes, I have split this category into
five narrower groupings. Remember, however, it is the toxic active ingredient in the
substance the pet is exposed to which will determine how much danger is present.
Therefore, it is critical in any case of potential poisoning to find the container of the
toxic substance and know the ingredients when seeking advice or veterinary services. All
rat poisons are not alike and the same is true of ant poisons, herbicides, flea products,
etc. Different poisons may require very different treatments and it is necessary to know
the active ingredient in a potential poison to know how to treat an exposed animal and to
give a reasonably accurate prognosis. Ideally, the veterinarian should have the intact
container with the label when evaluating the toxic potential of the product.

There are dozens of insecticides available in hardware and home repair stores
designed to kill ants, termites, wasps, garden pests and many other nuisance insects.
Unfortunately, these products present a risk to our household pets when a dog or cat is
accidentally exposed to the poison, usually by eating the bait or poison. Although there
are a host of different active ingredients found in these preparations, many of them can
be grouped into two categories: Organophosphates and carbamates.

Both organophosphates (known as OP's) and carbamates have similar toxic effects
which involve disruption of the normal nervous system function by causing an excess of the
neurotransmitter, acetylcholine, to accumulate in the body. Although acetylcholine is a
necessary body chemical for normal nervous and muscular function, this excess or overdose,
causes severe clinical signs that can result in the death of the animal. If an animal is
exposed by eating a poison containing OP's or carbamates (or, less frequently, absorbing
the substance through the skin in a dip product) it can experience a number of clinical
signs. These include excess saliva production, lacrimation or tearing of the eyes,
excessive urination, diarrhea, muscle twitching, weakness, difficult breathing and
collapse. It is critical than an animal potentially exposed to these insecticides be
evaluated by veterinary personnel as quickly as possible in order to provide treatment if
necessary before signs become severe, at which point treatment is often ineffective.

There are many other types of insecticides besides OP's and carbamates, including:
Chlorinated hydrocarbon compounds, pyrethrins, arsenic and others which have different
poisonous properties and which may require different treatments for accidental exposure.
As mentioned earlier, in the case of an accident, it is important to get the container
with the label including the insecticide's active ingredient(s) and bring that information
to the attention of the veterinary staff. They can then determine the type of toxicity and
any possible treatments as quickly as possible, preferably before the pet is very sick.
Many of these products are extremely toxic and any delay in evaluation of the cat or dog
can be life-threatening.

ANTIFREEZE - XXX XXX - Emergency! XX - Highly Dangerous X - Dangerous

Poisoning by antifreeze, or ethylene glycol, is one of the most common small
animal toxicities, particularly up here in the cold north. Every year do-it-yourself
motorists get out the gear needed to winterize their vehicles, including antifreeze.
Unfortunately, this poison has a sweet taste and spilled or leaked antifreeze is lapped up
by many dogs and cats in quantities sufficient to cause severe sickness and even death.

It takes only about 1/2 teaspoon per pound for a dog to get a toxic dose of
ethylene glycol, the active ingredient in antifreeze, and less for a cat. Although the
poison affects both the animal's neurological and kidney function, the most severe damage
usually involves the kidneys. Clinical signs in affected animals include depression,
incoordination, vomiting, and seizures. The best way to combat antifreeze poisoning is by
preventing the animal from having the opportunity to drink the poison. Keep all containers
tightly closed when not in use and clean up spills immediately. It should be noted that
this toxin affects people as well as pets and that small children are also at risk for
ethylene glycol poisoning.

There is currently a new product on the market (one trade name is
"Sierra"tm) which claims to be safer than other brands of antifreeze. This
product contains propylene glycol as its active ingredient. If ingested, it can still
cause the nervous system injury resulting in incoordination and possibly seizures but does
not cause the more frequently fatal kidney damage. It is clear using such a product would
pose less of a health hazard. The best advice remains, however, to always use any
potentially toxic product carefully to prevent accidental poisoning in the first place.

Again, this category contains dozens of products used around the home including
toilet bowl cleaners, bleach, detergents, caustics (e.g., Dranotm, Ajaxtm), pine oils and
others. Although intended to keep our lives safe and healthy by maintaining a clean
environment, these products are often highly poisonous to living tissue if a dog or cat
eats or becomes otherwise exposed to the chemicals in the cleaner.

These cleaners can destroy tissue on contact by acid or alkaline burns, by
dissolving through tissue membranes, by absorbing through to the animal's bloodstream and
causing generalized illness and a variety of other mechanisms. Pine oils and electric
dishwashing detergents particularly tend to be quite toxic although the range of chemicals
included in cleaning products can cause signs varying widely from mild local irritation
(many detergent soaps) to deep penetrating tissue damage (alkaline products) to severe
systemic disease (pine oils and others). Once again the best remedy is prevention. Keep
all cleaners tightly closed when not in use to prevent accidental spills and ingestion.
Also, be sure to keep pets out of newly cleaned areas to avoid paw injuries from walking
in the newly applied cleaning solution and mouth burns from the animal then grooming
itself. Also be aware of the possible dangers of toilet bowl cleaners from dogs and cats
who consider the toilet just another water bowl! In case of accidental exposure to
cleaning products, it is generally recommended to flush the skin (or mouth) with plain
water to wash away remaining chemicals, then call in to your veterinary clinic for further
instructions. In the AAPCC 1990 report, 5.9% (2,217 animals) of all non-drug poison
exposures were inquiries following exposure to cleaning products, with 80 of those animals
being moderately to severely affected.

Millions of dollars are spent every year on products designed to rid our non-human
companions (and our homes!) of these unwanted pests. Fleas are highly irritating to dogs
and cats and can sometimes result in severe flea bite allergies for those animals who
develop a sensitivity to proteins in the flea's saliva. Most of the products on the market
to combat these insects (the most common of which is Ctenocephalides felis, the cat flea)
create few problems when used as directed. Unfortunately, some dog flea preparations can
be toxic to cats and almost all topical flea preparations (dips, sprays, etc.) can be
poisonous if not used in accordance with label instructions. If label instructions are for
once weekly use, and the product is used daily or more often, poisoning can result. If
premise sprays, specifically not for use directly on pets, are used on or near pets,
poisoning may result. The message is clear -- use brand names you are familiar with (ask
your vet for recommendations if you're not familiar with any specific products), and use
according to label instructions. STOP use if your animal shows any abnormal signs
(possibly poor appetite, depression, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive salivation). Excessive
drooling may be caused only by the taste of the product, or may truly be of concern.
Contact your veterinary clinic. Consider bathing your pet in warm water with diluted
liquid dish detergent to remove flea products from the hair and skin oils, thereby
limiting your pet's exposure.

Every year hundreds of animals are poisoned by these products, some fatally, by
accidental misuse resulting from misreading, or failing to read, the label instructions.
Do not use products intended for dogs on cats as these may contain compounds that are
appropriate for dogs but poisonous to cats. Do not use premise sprays intended for the
house and/or yard on or near pets and always carefully read instructions prior to use.
Call your veterinary clinic with any questions or if your animal shows any clinical signs
during or following flea treatment.

Lead poisoning is seen occasionally in small animals, notably in birds, frequently
as a result of ingestion of a foreign object containing lead, for instance, a toy, drapery
weight, fishing weight, lead shot or battery. However, it can also be seen with ingestion
of lead-containing paint, caulking, motor oil and other lead sources. Clinical signs for
animal suffering lead poisoning usually include a combination of signs involving the
gastrointestinal system (vomiting, constipation diarrhea, painful abdomen) and the
neurological system (depression, blindness, circling, muscle tremors, incoordination).
Onset of signs is usually relatively quick but signs can progress more slowly if the
animal is slowly being exposed to the poison, i.e., repeated ingestion of lead based
paint.

Zinc poisoning occurs most frequently when dogs ingest zinc in the form of
pennies. The metal interacts with components of the animal's red blood cells and can
cause, weakness, trembling, loss of appetite. Although not seen frequently, it is
interesting to note how such a mundane object can be toxic when ingested.

Poisons intended to kill rats, mice, gophers, moles and other mammalian pests are
among the most common and deadly of small animal toxins. Since rodent and other pests and
our companion animal dogs and cats are all mammals, it follows that substances highly
poisonous to the pests would be just as lethal to our pets, and indeed that is the case.
In the 1990 AAPCC report, 8% of all non-drug toxin exposures resulted from rodenticides
and of 425 fatalities, 60 (14%) of deaths were subsequent to these poisons. Commonly,
owners have all but forgotten the old rat poison in the garage cabinet until it gets
knocked onto the ground and the dog has eaten it. Or on farms or stables, rat poison is
left in what seems like a safe place to attract only the rats and then the empty chewed
container is seen outside the doghouse. It cannot be too highly stressed that rodenticides
are highly toxic and any such poisons designed to kill small mammals need to be carefully
contained in closed metal cabinets or high on stable shelving. The poisons usually come in
flimsy cardboard containers and any dog, puppy or cat can chew through the container to
get at the bait. Unfortunately, every year far too many do just that.

Rodenticides are classified according to both their basic ingredient compounds and
by how they act on their target. These categories include: Anti-coagulant rodenticides,
cholecalciferol, strychnine, zinc phosphide, bromethalin, compound 1080 and more. The most
common rodenticide poisoning seen in veterinary practice is that of the anti-coagulant
rodenticides. These poisons - with ingredient names like warfarin, fumarin, diphacinone,
bromadiolone - act by interfering with the animal's ability to utilize Vitamin K. One of
they key roles of Vitamin K is in the production of coagulation factors in the body which
cause blood to clot when necessary. Although we are not aware of it, normal physiological
processes require blood to clot many times a day in our bodies and that of our pets.
Without the necessary coagulation factors, normal minor bleeding in the body goes
unchecked which, without treatment, becomes major bleeding, with blood loss anemia,
hemorrhage and death resulting. With most anti-coagulant rodenticides, signs are not seen
until 3-5 days after the pet has ingested the poison. Clinical signs include weakness,
difficult breathing, pale mucous membranes, and bleeding from the nose.

Other types of rodenticides have different mechanisms of action with some (i.e.,
strychnine and bromethalin) causing neurological signs such as incoordination, seizures
and others cardiac failure (i.e., cholecalciferol). If accidental ingestion of rat poison
is suspected, contact your veterinary clinic immediately, even if your dog or cat is
showing no obvious signs of being ill. Be sure, if possible, to bring the poison container
in to the clinic in order to determine the specific toxin and provide the best treatment.
Early recognition is critical as some poisons, particularly the anti-coagulant
rodenticides, can be successfully treated if the poisoning is caught early and treated
appropriately.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This guide was generously prepared by Julie Dahlke, DVM, a graduate of the
University of Minnesota, College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Dahlke thanks Dr. Mike
Murphy, a veterinary toxicologist and Ms. Lynn Lawrence, both of the University of
Minnesota for their assistance in the development of this guide.